Early work (pre-fame)

Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club was a band that formed in 1979 in New York City with band members Dan Gilroy (vocals, guitar), Ed Gilroy (guitar), Madonna (drums) and Angie Smit (bass). They wrote a few demo tracks, before Madonna left to form another band Emmy and the Emmys. The Breakfast Club went through several line-ups over the years and released a few albums in the 80s.

Patrick Hernandez

French singer Patrick Hernandez was a 1-hit wonder who scored a success in 1979 with the song Born To Be Alive. Madonna, still unfamous at the time, was living in France for a while around that period and was a back-up dancer and singer for Hernandez.

Emmy and the Emmys

Pre-Madonna / In The Beginning

Pre-Madonna is a collection of demos written and recorded by Madonna in the period 1980-1981 in New York City. It also includes original versions of Everybody and Burning Up, which later ended up on Madonna's first album. Steve Bray released Pre-Madonna on June 10, 1997, without the authorization of Madonna. In Europe, the album was released as In The Beginning.

Gotham tapes

In 1981, Madonna hit the Gotham Sound Studios in New York City with her first manager Camille Barbone and guitarist Jon Gordon. They recorded a handful of Pat Benatar style pop-rock demo tracks, which would become known as the Gotham Tapes.

The Early Years (Otto Von Wernherr)

In 1981, Madonna did some backing vocals for German singer Otto Von Wernherr, who never made it in the show business (if you hear the tracks, you understand why). When Madonna shot to fame, he tried several times to cash in by releasing the demo tracks he recorded with her.